


So, still Ellacott?

by peregrinning



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 19:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15420105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peregrinning/pseuds/peregrinning
Summary: Based on Lethal White's use of "Robin Ellacott" in the synopsis, this is a small piece that examines Robin's first day back in the office and Cormoran finding out she intends to keep her maiden name.





	So, still Ellacott?

**Author's Note:**

> Here's hoping I'm right about her keeping the maiden name!

Cormoran took another sip of his coffee as he waited for Robin to come in for her first day back after her honeymoon. Although she often beat him to the office, today he'd been too anxiously excited to sleep in, and besides, she didn't have the key anymore after he'd so rashly fired her. He winced, and his eyes flickered over the contact he had on the desk. His eyes caught on the sentences that would prevent either of them from terminating the partnership without at least a week's notice, intended to prevent any hasty and instantly regrettable endings like that of the Brockbank incident. Although he never intended to make such a mistake again, he thought it might be wise to have a cool-off period in writing and hoped Robin would agree. Of course, she was free to make suggestions or changes to the new contract. 

He'd left blank spaces for her to write her own name in...he supposed she was probably Robin Cunliffe by now, but he'd found himself completely unable to type that particular sequence of letters. Which demonstrated that his fears that the new wedding ring might not pose any more of an obstacle to certain treacherous thoughts than the sapphire ring had were, unfortunately, well founded. 

Just then Robin knocked on the door, interrupting his thoughts. He made his way over to let her in as quickly as he could. "Welcome back," he said with a smile. A small part of him had worried that, despite their agreement at her wedding reception that she would return, she would change her mind; this part of him now relaxed upon seeing her. 

"Thank you," Robin said, returning his smile. She breezed in with a waft of some summery new perfume. She was wearing an apricot coloured blouse with short sleeves, exposing slim arms, now more freckled than usual. He was glad to see that the scar Laing had given her was now significantly lightened and faded. The blouse was paired with a knee length skirt; no stockings, but instead some kind of wedge sandals with rope on the heels. He thought these might have a particular name but couldn't remember what it was. He pulled his eyes away from her slim ankles with some difficulty and met her gaze; her eyes seemed bluer than usual over a nose lightly dusted in tiny freckles. As usual, the pretty Robin in his memories did not match up to the real one in front of him who was, in a word, beautiful. 

"Did you enjoy your holiday?" he asked, leaning back against Robin's desk. _Holiday, why can't you say honeymoon?_  

"Oh yes, Greece was beautiful. The water was so blue, but I'm glad we went to Athens as well as the seaside because it was wonderful to see all the historical sites."

"That's good," Strike answered, noticing that her sentence did not use the word "Matthew" but trying not to read too much into it. 

"I'm really pleased to be back," Robin said. 

"So am I, and actually to that end, here are the keys back to the office, and I've written you up a new contract," he said, handing it over. Robin sat down on the sofa and spent the next few minutes reading the contract. He stayed where he was, leaning against the desk, making no move to hurry her along or distract her. 

"Oh Cormoran, do you really mean this?" she said after a while, looking up at him with shining eyes. 

"Which part?" he answered. 

"Here, about being partners. And here, where you're offering me to buy part of the business over time?" 

"The business would have gone under long ago without you, Robin. It's not fair for me to remain sole owner. But of course, buying me out over time is instead of an immediate raise. If you'd rather have the money now, I'd understand," he explained. 

"No, I'd love to be part owner! Oh, this is so exciting! Thank you, Cormoran!" she gushed. 

"Well, you'll be tied to the fate of the business now so let's hope it goes well," he teased. 

She smiled and he watched as she leaned forward to pluck a pen up from the desk and then signed the contract in a steady hand: R.V. Ellacott. 

"So, still Ellacott?" he asked her, trying to keep his tone light. Inside, he was immensely pleased by this sign that she intended to remain, in at least some way, her own person and not just Matthew's lovely wife. 

"Yes," she answered, "I hadn't exactly decided for sure until the wedding. I suppose I was planning to change it, but when it came time to sign the register, I suddenly knew I wanted to keep Ellacott. Everything that's happened to make me who I am, both good and bad, happened when I was an Ellacott, and somehow I just didn't want to let that name go."

"Makes sense," he said. "Not very fair that nobody's asking blokes to think about that kind of thing, is it?"

"No," she laughed. 

"Er, did Matthew say anything?" he asked. _Why'd you ask her that, you bloody fool?_

"I think he was surprised and maybe not all that pleased...we hadn't talked about it. But he couldn't complain because when we went on our honeymoon we had to have a talk about the voicemail he deleted..." she trailed off. Cormoran nodded; their discussion at her reception had pretty quickly exposed that there was a message Robin ought to have received and never had, and he'd only felt sorry that this fact now hung over her upcoming honeymoon. 

"Matthew understands now that he can never try to make my choices for me like that ever again" Robin said firmly. Cormoran nodded, although privately he thought Matthew was unlikely to have changed. No doubt Matthew had plans about when he would like to move to London's leafy outskirts and raise 2.5 children and never mind if Robin didn't necessarily agree about the timings or particulars of those plans. 

_All hope is not lost_ , some tiny voice whispered in his head. He furiously quashed it and instead turned around the pick up some files. 

"I've had lots of new clients calling us up since the media got the story about the Shacklewell Ripper. I've done most of the preliminary interviews while you were away but haven't really started proper work on any of the cases yet. I was thinking you could take the lead on some of them."

"I can't wait," Robin said, her eyes sparkling as he handed her the case files. 

"Well then let's get cracking, eh? Oh and now that I know what name you're using, I'm thinking of getting a new plate for the door. Strike and Ellacott, Private Investigators."

Robin beamed at him. 

 

 


End file.
